Another Black Shooting In Minneapolis

[Cowbridge Blue]

We're in Iowa now but until a couple of years ago we lived in Maple Grove which is just a few miles from Brooklyn Center. Brutal winters aside, I absolutely enjoyed living in Minneapolis but like all major cities - and American cities in particular - there are areas where large multi-cultural groups seem to have landed together and without going into reasons why, opportunities for advancement, equality and most other things just do nor prosper there.

Brooklyn Center is one such area; imagine Butetown 30 years ago before the barrage and development of Cardiff Bay - you really had no reason to go there and not may people did even though it was just a stone's throw from the City Centre. I imagine policing in the former Tiger Bay was quite different from the way the local bobby in Rhiwbina spoke to residents about a light on their car not working. Add to that the presence of legally obtained firearms and it's easy to understand how one tv commentator put it today: 'when a white man is approached by a policeman he sees the law badge and what it stands for; the black man sees instead the array of weaponry being carried in full view - taser, pepper spray, baton, hand-cuffs, gun'.

Whether you see the US police as institutionally racist is open to debate but the data on police stops is hard to ignore and for the moment at least, all trust has been lost on both sides. In the US today, most people recognise the problems in society - and there are many - but those problems have existed for decades and society itself hasn't been able to make the improvements necessary to advance harmony. Sadly, Trump's policy of creating division as a means (he thought) of furthering his political agenda and popularity have put a swift resolution further out of reach.

Anyway, to get back to Sludge's opening and very thoughtful post, there are two points I would make: first, the officer involved IS a person who went to work that day never imagining what was to unfold and I do believe she will be devastated at what has happened. To underscore the point, my son (now 20) realised this evening that he was in the same High School year with the officer's son and that he'd been to their home once or twice, just a few streets from where we lived. An ordinary, nice family whose lives have changed forever.

And second, Sludge drew attention to the likelihood of unrest if George Floyd's killer is found not guilty. I don't think he will be as there are 3 separate charges the jury can find including manslaughter and from what is being said, despite the very powerful prosecution performance, the protections in place for law enforcement officers could well result in the weakest outcome of manslaughter and that in itself could spark unrest in Minneapolis as well as across the nation.

As Sludge said: 'no winners'.

[SLUDGE FACTORY]

We're in Iowa now but until a couple of years ago we lived in Maple Grove which is just a few miles from Brooklyn Center. Brutal winters aside, I absolutely enjoyed living in Minneapolis but like all major cities - and American cities in particular - there are areas where large multi-cultural groups seem to have landed together and without going into reasons why, opportunities for advancement, equality and most other things just do nor prosper there.

Brooklyn Center is one such area; imagine Butetown 30 years ago before the barrage and development of Cardiff Bay - you really had no reason to go there and not may people did even though it was just a stone's throw from the City Centre. I imagine policing in the former Tiger Bay was quite different from the way the local bobby in Rhiwbina spoke to residents about a light on their car not working. Add to that the presence of legally obtained firearms and it's easy to understand how one tv commentator put it today: 'when a white man is approached by a policeman he sees the law badge and what it stands for; the black man sees instead the array of weaponry being carried in full view - taser, pepper spray, baton, hand-cuffs, gun'.

Whether you see the US police as institutionally racist is open to debate but the data on police stops is hard to ignore and for the moment at least, all trust has been lost on both sides. In the US today, most people recognise the problems in society - and there are many - but those problems have existed for decades and society itself hasn't been able to make the improvements necessary to advance harmony. Sadly, Trump's policy of creating division as a means (he thought) of furthering his political agenda and popularity have put a swift resolution further out of reach.

Anyway, to get back to Sludge's opening and very thoughtful post, there are two points I would make: first, the officer involved IS a person who went to work that day never imagining what was to unfold and I do believe she will be devastated at what has happened. To underscore the point, my son (now 20) realised this evening that he was in the same High School year with the officer's son and that he'd been to their home once or twice, just a few streets from where we lived. An ordinary, nice family whose lives have changed forever.

And second, Sludge drew attention to the likelihood of unrest if George Floyd's killer is found not guilty. I don't think he will be as there are 3 separate charges the jury can find including manslaughter and from what is being said, despite the very powerful prosecution performance, the protections in place for law enforcement officers could well result in the weakest outcome of manslaughter and that in itself could spark unrest in Minneapolis as well as across the nation.

As Sludge said: 'no winners'.

From what I have seen , which isn't as much as others , the officer involved in the shooting of this young black man appears to have made a terrible and fatal mistake

George Floyd was clearly not a nice guy but that officer knelt on his neck despite the guy being surrounded by armed police

It seemed an act of brutality

If he's not sent to prison if the evidence is there to convict him .....ie he's got great lawyers or the jury bottle it , some American cities are going to go up in smoke which hurts everybody

I will never forget the footage of the LA riots after the Rodney King verdict